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I´m so happy for all the smiley faces yesterday remember working in our body when you are busy with the dishes with music is easy and fun. good job!

If you feeling tired remember “happy pace and happy place” is the KEY!!!

Keeping the smile during the hills congratulations all the everybody, great job!

Remember next week April 10th is our last session in the room 111. I will talk about some tips for race day.

April 17th. The community center is CLOSE. We meet you at the Library door at 6 pm for our last run together.

After the race April 23rd we will meet at the letter “B” for Britannia and after as tradition we will see you at to celebrate our VICTORY We did it together! At Cambie Bar & Grill (the ultimate recovery drink!) Thank Mary-Lou for the reference.

The address is 300 Cambie Street (at Cordova), right on the corner.

Please if you have any question, comment or suggestion to improve our clinic please let me know.

I would like to say THANK YOU to NICOLE, ANNA, ALIVIA, LINDA, TASHA, MARK, MARY-LOU, MICHELLE, ALANE for your extraordinary job during this weeks. Thank you.

And Thank you all the runners you are doing a great job every week my invitation is to keep the good pace. Register to other races, follow our facebook group still in contact run is an individual sport but you can transform it in to a nice play date!

Have a great week, see you next Monday 10th

Cheers,

Pepe Duarte

“Happy pace, happy place”.

COACHING: HILLS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND

When my running career began as a senior in high school, my father suggested it would be good for me to run up and down a snow-covered garbage dump in Regina. These days when I take my nine-year-old Bernese Mountain Dog to my favourite hill, he sits on his haunches and watches from the top and refuses to run with me. Come to think of it, he’s like how my father was – smart and supportive, but not interested in participating! At least you know I practice what I preach and it’s no secret I have been known to say that “hills are your best friend,” along with your favourite canine companion of course! They are excellent for strength, fitness, efficiency, posture and injury prevention. Never avoid hills: Seek them out and focus on these tips for good form:

Lean slightly into the hill while hinging at the waist.

Keep the abs and back strong – shoulders away from the ears.

Focus only on the few feet in front of you.

Shorten your stride (most people overstride on hills).

Land on the balls of your feet and lift your knees as quickly as possible.

You’ll be proud of yourself when you get to the top of a hill every single time and you’ll be glad you were prepared when you easily tackle both the Burrard and Cambie Street bridges during The Vancouver Sun Run.

NOTES: For more helpful information on prevention and treatment of RunWalk discomforts, make sure to watch our recent webinar!

Also, join me on April 22nd at BC Place stadium (the day before the Sun Run) for aRunning Injuries Workshop organized by one of my mentors, Dr. Jack Taunton (co-founder of The Vancouver Sun Run).

Smiles,

Lynn Kanuka
SportMedBC RunWalk Coach & Olympian

2017 VANCOUVER SUN RUN INTRAINING LEADER OF THE YEAR!

Last chance to nominate a Leader of the Year!

Please take a few moments to complete the 2017 Vancouver Sun Run InTraining Leader of the Year nomination form. Once all nominations have been received, one leader will be recognized with the Jim Swan Memorial Plaque. Your nomination efforts serve as a vote of appreciation and thanks to the leader involved.

In today’s age of superfoods and food police, we seem to have forgotten some of the basics in our attempts to cut clean up our diet. Here are some simple nutrition guidelines that may help us make healthier choices.

Choose whole grains more often

Include a variety of colourful vegetables at every meal

Serve small portions of bread, rice, noodles and potatoes

Limit foods that are fried or made with oil or butter

Enjoy a variety of fruits every day

Choose fish, beans and lean meats

In moderation, even bread can be a very wholesome part of a balanced diet, but it is easy to overdo refined and processed foods made from white flour. Here are some guidelines to choose healthier types of grains and foods:

Choose Rarely

Choose Sometimes

Choose Often

fried rice

white rice

brown rice

wild rice

quinoa

parboiled white rice

French fries

hashbrowns

potato salad

baked potato

sweet potato

squash

baked home fries

fried noodles

white pasta

whole wheat pasta

black bean pasta

zucchini pasta

brown rice pasta

croissants

muffins

cookies

pastries

pies

perogies

dumplings

sandwich bread made from enriched flour, white buns

100% whole wheat bread

whole wheat including the germ bread or sprouted grain bread

sugary cereals

instant oatmeal, granola, oat cereals

steel cut oats

old fashioned rolled oats

shredded wheat cereal

bran cereals

chips

rice crackers

pretzels

white crackers

popcorn

whole wheat crackers

most sugary granola bars

bars made from 100% fruit, nuts or whole grains

chocolate spread

smooth peanut butter

natural peanut butter

almond butter

pumpkin seed butter

chicken fingers

chicken wings

ribs

deep fried chicken

red meat

baked or grilled lean meat

fish

chicken

beans

tofu

deep dish, stuffed crust meat lovers pizza

pepperoni pizza

thin crust vegetarian, ham or chicken pizza, light on the cheese

Cristina Sutter

SportMedBC RunWalk Dietitian

Cristina Sutter is a Private Practice Sport Dietitian at Optimal Performance Clinic in Vancouver. For more information, visit cristinasutter.ca.

SAVE UP TO 30% IN THE FORTIUS LAB

Are you looking to gain an additional edge in your Vancouver Sun Run InTraining?

SportMedBC’s partners at Fortius Sport & Health are offering a special spring promotion to Vancouver Sun Run InTraining participants of up to 30% off select Lab Services.

Recommended for athletes and individuals who are serious about improving cardiovascular fitness, the VO2max test measures the maximum amount of oxygen the body can consume to produce energy. This test provides specific information that can be used to guide your training, allowing you to maximize your cardiovascular performance.

In addition to VO2max, lactate threshold has been shown to better predict endurance performance and can be very sensitive to specific training. After determining a lactate profile, we will provide accurate training zones based on both heart rate and speed/pace to help you enhance your performance.

I would like to invite you to dream in the future April 23rd, 2017 it is almost here. But before start wit this vision I want to mention some important points.

Thank you to Dr. Christopher L. MacLean, for the explanation about mechanics as I mentioned my life change when I meet him because I learn a lot about how I can improve my running with easy steps. Thank you, Mac. (I attach their information)

Today is a lovely day for an afternoon run. If you need motivation touch here. I would like to know what motive you to run… if you share with me I really appreciate.

Thanks agian to be part of this journey, all the best for you…

Ready, set… go

Cheers,

Pepe Duarte

COACHING: ALMOST THERE!

I’m lucky to be travelling this week as Canadian national team coach to Kampala, Uganda for the World Cross Country Championships (quite the spring break getaway, eh?). Canada’s best will race over 6-12km.

Eighteen hours of travel, hot and dry conditions, a grueling course, and language barriers amidst a culture nothing like our own. It will certainly be a huge challenge. I myself have experienced that in competition, having to conquer the brain demons that pop up when things get tough. Sport psychologists contend that putting your best foot forward is 99% mental. It’s no different whether you are an athlete just off the couch or towing the line in an international competition. In sport and life, it’s often mind over matter. A vision of success is key and every workout you complete is a victory. Recently I visited a clinic and the majority of people were not there – the wind and rain somehow held people back. Bundle up and put that hat on! We are less than four weeks away from The Vancouver Sun Run. You have come too far to fall off the wagon!

“I feel tired.”

“This is too hard.”

“I don’t have time.”

“Why do I do this?”

Don’t fall for it!

Meet a friend so the workout feels easier. Walk at lunch so you don’t skip your workout. Do it because you know it makes you feel great!

It’s 99% mental, stay with it!

For more helpful information on prevention and treatment of RunWalk discomforts, make sure to watch our recent webinar!

Please take a few moments to complete the 2017 Vancouver Sun Run InTraining Leader of the Year nomination form. Once all nominations have been received, one leader will be recognized with the Jim Swan Memorial Plaque. All nominees will receive an honorable mention regardless of the outcome, and your effort in preparing a submission will serve as a vote of appreciation and thanks to the leader involved.

Eating the right foods at the right times can help you avoid two common digestive discomforts of running: the stitch and runner’s cramps.

A stitch feels like a sharp pain on your side just below the ribs, sometimes accompanied by a stabbing pain in your shoulder. The jostling of running on a full stomach can cause a stitch by creating friction, irritating the abdominal wall membrane. If we eat too much right before a run or eat foods that are slow to digest, like a high fat muffin or a greasy takeout meal, we may get a stitch. To avoid a stitch, have a light snack at least 2 hours before your run and keep it low in fat, fibre and protein. So if your run is at 6pm, have a snack around 3:30-4pm (examples: a banana with yogurt or sprouted grain toast with nut butter). Sip on small amounts of water throughout your run to avoid dehydration and the jostling of water in your stomach.

Some people are prone to getting stomach cramps during long or high tempo runs, which are commonly known as runner’s trots (the urgent need to use a bathroom during a run). Runner’s cramps are also a preventable condition through correct food timing, good hydration, and eating only low fibre, low fat and low sugar foods before a run. Ideally, try to go to the bathroom before your run. If you are prone to runner’s trots, avoid caffeine, high sugar products like soda and sport gels, and high fibre foods like green vegetables, beans, bran and berries up to five hours before a run. High protein or high fat foods like muffins, pizza or hamburgers will take 16+ hours to digest and should be avoided 24 hours before a run. For at least two hours before running, don’t eat anything at all. Remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day and before, during and after your runs as dehydration can also contribute to stomach cramps.

If you feel persistent stomach cramps, bloating and gas after your meals, this can suggest Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or another digestive disorder. Speak with your doctor about your symptoms to identify the cause. Working with a dietitian can help provide a diet that will improve your symptoms and allow you to enjoy your training without discomfort.

Cristina Sutter

SportMedBC RunWalk Dietitian

Cristina Sutter is a Private Practice Sport Dietitian at Optimal Performance Clinic in Vancouver. For more information, visit cristinasutter.ca.

Yummy food. Thank you so much to everybody for bringing food, It was very good to share time together in another way.

Remember this 3 important elements to be a good runner.

1. Homework run.

2. eat well you need gas

3. Rest, sleep

4. I learned this on Monday… In order to be a runner you have to dress like a runner

If you want to know more about runners stuff follow us on facebook we have a group send me a request a Pepe Duarte.

The menu for this week is…

COACHING: KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING

Feeling good? Congratulations! You have reached yet another plateau in your climb to The Vancouver Sun Run: Your second well-earned and very important rest and recovery week. Even elite runners progress through training cycles that include a period of building followed by a shorter period of reduced volume and intensity. The rest allows you to enjoy your new fitness level and to relax with a much-needed mental and physical break.

I’ve been noticing in my clinic visits that there’s a lot more “chat” going on because you are finding your rhythm and are getting to know one another. I heard a young mother talk about how she had fully coordinated her two children so that she and a friend could do their RunWalk homework together – Fantastic! I also heard about a teacher who had been off because of a concussion she’d sustained in a car accident and was so proud of herself to be moving well again – Wonderful! Another one was a retired gentleman lamenting about not having lost any weight but who was beginning to feel that his pants were not quite so tight – Great progress!

It strikes me once again how special this journey is. We have all come together under the guise of Sun Run InTraining and fitness from incredibly diverse backgrounds. How nice it is that we can talk about anything and everything and sometimes nothing.

Enjoy your recovery week – no more and no less. LearnToRunners, please choose the RunWalk Option as the best option. Walkers and RunStronger, keep your pace nice and easy. My advice to all of you is to keep the conversation going. We’re getting there now with what it means to have a “runners high” (it applies to walkers too!).

Lynn Kanuka
SportMedBC RunWalk Coach & Olympian

NUTRITION: PROTEIN PART I – HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO WE NEED?

Scientists have some new answers to the popular question of how much protein we need to build muscle. Researchers are now using a new method of estimating protein requirement known as IAAO (Indicator amino acid oxidation), which estimates our protein needs at 1.2g protein per KG of body weight. This amount is 40-50% higher than the current Canadian protein requirement advised by the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). The RDA was calculated using an imperfect method called nitrogen balance, which is known to underestimate our protein needs. Additionally, the RDA level was designed to avoid overt deficiencies and new research is demonstrating that this underestimates the optimal amount of protein needed for sustaining and building muscle mass. We now know that our Canadian protein recommendations fall short of promoting optimal muscle mass.

Both young and older women tend to consume less protein than their male counterparts. For an average 50 year old woman who weighs 154 lbs, she needs 1.2g protein (X 70kg) = 84g protein per day to maintain and build muscle. She can get this much protein in one day from:

2 eggs (16g protein)

1 cup milk (8g protein)

1 can tuna (30g protein)

100g chicken or 2/3 of a chicken breast (27g protein)

½ cup yogurt (4g protein)

Unfortunately, we lose muscle mass and function as we age, which limits our mobility in our golden years. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritionfound that we can prevent and reverse this aging process with resistance exercise and including a serving of high quality protein in all our meals. Older adults need more protein to stimulate muscle building and prevent muscle loss than younger folks who build muscle more efficiently after exercise. This study showed that older adults can protect and build their muscle mass by consuming higher amounts of essential amino acids (in particular, leucine) at their meals. The only complete sources of essential amino acids are dairy, eggs, fish, meat, poultry, soy and spirulina seaweed. Interestingly, this is where meat and dairy outperform vegetarian alternatives, and research supports dairy protein as enhancing fat loss and building muscle mass.

Beyond its muscle building benefits, we know that including a serving of protein at every meal keeps us full for longer and reduces hunger and cravings later in the day. Dietitians agree that a diet that includes small, frequent meals made up of vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy and whole grains help us stay satisfied and achieve a healthy weight without feeling hungry. Whether you want to build muscle, lose fat, or delay aging, choose a balanced diet that includes high quality protein sources every day.

Protein part two comes next week.

Cristina Sutter

SportMedBC RunWalk Dietitian

Cristina Sutter is a Private Practice Sport Dietitian at Optimal Performance Clinic in Vancouver. For more information, visit cristinasutter.ca.

Just 6 more to have our 10K. For some of you this is the first time, maybe you never imagine doing this in REAL life. Yes, it isn’t a dream, you are doing it. Last week you ran more than 5k. Congratulations!

For others maybe this is the second or more, I don’t know, but you are doing it! For me to think about crossing the start line and hearing the people screaming, looking the face of people looking for their loved ones, is awesome. Specially when I hear a kid say “go” or with a signal with a funny message like “Touch for power”

The race day is just one day, however the proud feelings about finishing your first or you second… is forever. Enjoy the way!

Things to remember
5K trail run

Saturday, March 11th 9:00 am

I feel so sad I can’t run with you I have a course but you are in my mind and I’ll be cheering for you. This run is part of your homework. The plan says to run 3 days per week. One on Monday, one on Wednesday, and the final on Saturday.

If you celebrate something special, going for a 5K run is a really good way to start the day.

Next week is one of my favorites: potluck. Bring you specialty to share and be prepared to have a good time with your fellow runners. We are stronger together and if you add food… so yummy!

See you soon. It is sunny, I’m going to play outside.

Place as Mister Ken Hamilton mention: if you have any idea to give you a better race, please let me know.

See you next Monday,

Pepe Duarte

COACHING: INSPIRATION ON THE RUN

I was recently in Merritt and I went for a couple of gorgeous early morning walks high above the Nicola Valley. A rising sun over gently rolling hills iced with snow, and a big sky stretching as far as the eye can see. I found myself remembering a road trip I went on with my children a few years ago to visit family in Saskatchewan. We had stopped for the night at a hotel in Medicine Hat along Highway #1. The area was and is flat as a pancake! Only a prairie girl like me would think of the possibility of a run. I recall not being too excited about where the road behind the hotel would lead. Ten minutes into an easy jog, I was treated to a surprise I’ll never forget. I had reached the edge of a jagged valley that had been cut out of the prairies a gazillion years ago by one of those ancient moving glaciers that we can only imagine. I skirted the edge of the valley that day amidst bushes and rocks, with the river below and a blue prairie sky above just like what I experienced in Merritt. I was reminded yet again of how lucky we are to be able to simply throw on a pair of shoes, head out the door anywhere, anytime, and explore new territory.

So, remember to take your training gear with you when you plan your spring break getaway. If you are staying around town this year, then go visit a friend and try your RunWalk in a different neighbourhood. There’s inspiration in a new route every time!

Celebrate how far you’ve come with a 5K this week! Stay at nice, easy talking pace and you’ll discover that you could go further (but don’t). We’ll save that for Sun Run day on April 23rd!Keep it going!

Lynn KanukaSportMedBC RunWalk Coach & Olympian

NUTRITION: THE PLATE METHOD

How much should we eat to maintain a healthy weight?

Following strict diets might help us lose weight in the short term, but they tend to leave us feeling hungry and deprived. This can boost our cravings and sets us up to overeat later and inevitably, regain all that weight afterwards. For long term weight management, we can use the “Plate Method” to enjoy all of our favorite foods in balanced proportions, without having to follow a restrictive diet.

The Plate Method was first introduced to help people with diabetes control their blood sugar. We now know that everyone can really benefit from the Plate Methodto maintain a healthy weight and optimal nutrition and health. The Plate Methodsuggests that we fill half of our plate with vegetables, a quarter of our plate with whole grains, and a quarter of our plate with lean proteins. Aim to have 3 fruits a day and 2-3 servings of dairy products for snacks or with meals as well.

When we serve our meals this way, the fibre from the fruits and vegetables and the protein from lean meats, fish, legumes, dairy products and alternatives keeps us full longer. We don’t have to cut out the carbs, we can choose whole grains more often and keep the portions relatively small. Having a small portion of whole grain on our plates gives us energy, without carb loading our plates with heaps of bread, pasta or rice.

Next time you serve yourself dinner or make your lunch, try to load up on vegetables and lean protein and include a small portion of whole grains. Your plate will be full with a meal that keeps you full for longer, without weighing you down.

Cristina Sutter

SportMedBC RunWalk Dietitian

Cristina Sutter is a Private Practice Sport Dietitian at Optimal Performance Clinic in Vancouver. For more information, visit cristinasutter.ca.

Yesterday we enjoyed a gorgeous day, blue sky, the sun, snow, nice temperature, a happy Family Day. We did a recovery run at our clinic. Overall, a very good pre-show for Valentine’s Day.

Why do we need a recovery week?

To build fitness our body needs to work out but it needs to relax too. Remember the example with the bag and why we do intervals? It is the same principle we need an active rest to keep building our fitness. Normally, there is a recovery week in our program every 4 weeks.

For running, there are 3 mains elements:

1. Training, to be good in anything you have to practice and practice and practice until you hear the music in your head without an instrument. Practice.

2. Food, somebody said “we are what we eat”. It is true. If you want to run with less weight in your backpack maybe you can try to eat more greens than browns. In my case, I eat my cake after my run. When I have it in my hand ready to eat I think if I ran for 50 minutes, I burn just 800 calories, etc… sometimes my rationale wins and the cake gets back to the fridge but other times finishes IN me… 🙂 I run for food. I earn it. But I also eat to run, I eat well to fuel my body.

3. Rest. Rest, Rest. This remind me when my mom said to me. “if you want to play tomorrow you need to sleep and charge the batteries”. Take your time for rest. Every person is different, someone needs 7 hours other 8 or 9 the point is: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD SLEEP TIME. Every week.

COACHING: REST AND RECOVER

Workloads are always less every fourth week, so enjoy the well-earned recovery! Those who are new to the program will still be fine with their first session, and those who have missed a few workouts (weather challenges and nasty flu bugs going around) will be able to return to the program smoothly.

As it is Valentine’s Day week, I have a personal Sun Run InTraining love story to share. I grew up in a smokin,’ drinkin,’ fun-lovin’ prairie household. My mother and father were die-hard Saskatchewan Roughriders fans and extreme armchair athletes as we were growing up. They put us kids in sports to keep us out of trouble and they were our greatest fans. They were there in full force at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, waving their giant Canadian Flag, cheering louder than anybody as I received my bronze medal.

In the 1990’s, they finally quit smoking and cut back on the drinking. and my Dad caught me by surprize one day in 2007 when he asked me to tell him about what I was doing in my job, coaxing people off couches to do that “Sun Run thing!” He asked, “what would we have to do to prepare for it?” At that point they had retired in White Rock. My Dad had recovered well from his stroke and round one with cancer, and they enjoyed walking along the beach.

You can imagine how excited I was when they decided to follow the Walk10K program! My Dad was thrilled that they only had to walk 3 times per week, and his thought process was to train Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, so he could then kick-back and do nothing for the rest of the week!

“Sorry Mom and Dad, you have to spread those sessions out and stick to the program.”

I sensed their apprehension. “Do you think we can do it?” they asked me. Thirteen weeks later, I was anxiously waiting and trying to spot my dear parents on The Vancouver Sun Run home stretch. It makes me cry, thinking back and remembering them, married 50 years, 5 adult kids and very full lives, smiling and thrilled as they crossed that Vancouver Sun Run finish line together, hand-in-hand. I was so proud of their accomplishment.

For me, their story is the ultimate in love, support and friendship. Wishing you much love in your life this Valentine’s Day week of Vancouver Sun Run InTraining.Smiles,

Lynn KanukaSportMedBC RunWalk Coach & Olympian

NUTRITION: OVERCOMING EMOTIONAL EATING

Do you enjoy food and eating in a balanced way? Or do you have strong cravings for certain foods when you are upset, stressed or depressed? We may comfort ourselves with emotional eating when we don’t want to face uncomfortable feelings like anger, anxiety or sadness. This is a common pattern that many of us learned in our youth when we didn’t know how to handle these tough emotions.

Emotional eating does bring comfort and relief to our difficult feelings, so it actually does make us feel better temporarily. However, the relief is short lived and soon we feel guilty for overeating and often beat ourselves up for having lost our self-control. We pledge to start a new diet tomorrow and restrict “forbidden” foods. This strict diet makes us feel deprived and this inevitably results in cravings and overeating at our next vulnerable moment of stress.

To overcome emotional eating, try these strategies to stop this vicious cycle:

Soothe your emotions without food: Talk to a friend, go for a run/walk, play an instrument, do something creative like art or sewing, do a puzzle, coloring, do a chore or take a bath, read a book, meditate or listen to music. Engage your senses. Keep your hands busy.

If you have a craving for a “forbidden food,” make a decision to enjoy it without guilt. You will feel satisfied and will be less likely to binge.

If you do binge, it is important to give yourself compassion and acknowledge that you are stressed. Life is difficult and you need more self-care. Do not beat yourself up.

Do not start a diet by restricting foods. Instead, try to create regular meals and snacks. Choose foods that you enjoy and nourish you.

Cristina Sutter

SportMedBC RunWalk Dietitian

Cristina Sutter is a Private Practice Sport Dietitian at Optimal Performance Clinic in Vancouver. For more information, visit cristinasutter.ca.

Wow, we are in week number 2.

“Happy feet, happy run”

The impact of our first night is gone. Now it is true you are in the Britannia Sun Run clinic because you want to do a 10k run. For some people, it can be just one more race but for others, this is the beginning of the new way of life. Maybe you never thought about running and now you are here learning to run.

Today we talked about running shoes, clothes, and gadgets. Those are very important tools to keep us safe.

Here are some tips:

Remember to be realistic and plan to achieve your personal goals; you know your body, listen to him.

You have made the 10k Vancouver Sun Run on April 23, 2017 your special goal, every time when your mind starts making your training hard remember your goal, this will keep you motivated to go outside.

Shoes, clothes and more…

Thank you, Vanda, from Racket & Runners for all the information you gave us. It was so useful!

There are a lot of shoes in the market, with many colors, styles, and philosophies behind each brand. From my perspective, if you buy your new shoes with professional advice, it makes all the difference in the process.

When buying new shoes remember

Bring your old shoes.

Try one or two styles

Listen to a professional suggestion

If you want to change your old shoes for a new type (traditional big cushion to minimalist) follow the instructions to adapt not just your feet, but all your body to the new type.

The first person to send an email to britanniasunrunclinic@gmail.com answering this question will be the winner of one prize courtesy of Rackets & Runners:

How much is the discount you get if you buy something at the Sun Run Stores?